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ELI SMITH
Born in Headley, Hampshire on 27 June 1781
Eli, was the son of John Smith and Judith Bayley [Bailey]. Eli’s parents were married at Headley, Hampshire on 21 October 1777. John is shown to be a maltster.
John Smith was 29 at the time of his marriage, thus was born about 1748. Judith was the daughter of Robert and Grace Bailey. She was baptised 11 May 1748 at Stedham, near Midhurst, West Sussex. Eli had a younger brother, also named Anthony. This Anthony was baptised on 23 September 1784. From records summarised in the "Bramshott Mill Chronology" it appears that the Smith family may have lived in the Headley area for a number of generations. John is possibly the son of an earlier John who, with John Salter, is shown in the chronology as being a Papermaker at Bramshott Mill in 1711 & 1714.
Eli was born in Headley on June 27, 1781.
Eli's first Family
Eli [aged 34] married Elizabeth Cole [20] on 27 June 1815 at St Mary’s church in Portsea, Hampshire. Elizabeth Leach and a member of the Smith family were witnesses to the marriage.
Eli lived at Hatch Farm, Headley, Hampshire until 1838 where he was a well-to-do farmer, who was of the "…inhabitants, and rateable for the "Maintenance of the Poor"…", of the parish of Headley.
A possible relative – Richard Smith [shown in the chronology as a Papermaker at Standford in 1813] ran the Papermill operation before it was transferred to the Warren’s. 1881 Hampshire census
The tenants of Eli and the other local farmers wanted to hire the local poor at 6 shillings per week and have the ratepayers subsidise their wages so that they were comparable with the wages the poor could get working on the roads and elsewhere at 8 shillings or more. The farm owners, including Eli, said that if that happened they would go broke. Apparently at the time the poor were complaining of mistreatment and were "a mob under a red, white and yellow flag" according to the farm owners. The farm owners had heard of no mistreatment! - - info link
Eli’s first wife, Elizabeth Cole Smith, aged 21, died in childbirth with son Anthony, who emigrated to Australia in 1837.
Eli's second Family
Eli, then 39, married Elizabeth Paice aged 26 at Yateley, Hampshire on 1 April 1820 and had another family of 7 children at Headley.
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- Caroline, baptised 21 January, 1821
- Jane, baptised 15 December, 1822
- William, baptised 13 September, 1824
- John, baptised 15 October, 1826
- Emma, baptised 9 November, 1828
- Alfred, baptised 5 September, 1830
- Eli, baptised 20 July, 1832
There appears to have been two other daughters born at Selham,
- Anne baptised at Selham on August 22, 1837 and
- Mary.
SELHAM, WEST SUSSEX
Eli, Senior and family moved to Manor Farm in Selham, Sussex – a distance of about 12 miles and not far from the birthplace of his mother.
Selham, also known as Manor Farm and Selham Manor Farm
His new property, part of the Cowdray Estate, was about 300 acres – quite large for England. Compared to the village-like environs of Headley, the Selham property was much more 'open” country'. The farm consisted of a farmhouse, barns and 3 cottages. In the 1881 census, it is shown to have been farmed by 9 labourers and 3 boys.
Elizabeth Paice Smith [second wife of Eli Senior]
On 16 September 1839, Elizabeth aged 46, Eli’s 2nd wife died at Selham. Her death may have been associated with the birth of her last child, Mary.
Jane Smith Tice
Jane, Eli’s 2nd daughter, appears to be the first of the Smith children to marry. On 23 July 1844 she married Henry Tice, a Puttenham, Hampshire farmer, son of William Tice, at the Selham church. Robert Blackburn officiated, with witnesses Caroline Smith and Wm. Harding.
The 1845 Kelly’s directory for the area shows Eli being a farmer in the parish of Selham.
According to the diary of Anthony, Eli's son, born of his 1st marriage, who visited them from Australia, they were very busy in the summer of 1847 cutting and storing the hay. Also they were buying and selling a considerable amount of livestock.
The 1851 census at Selham lists Caroline [30], Emma [22] and Eli, junior [16] as living at Manor Farm.
William, John and Anne Smith
[In a letter a Mr. Pym refers to a William Smith in Australia. It may be that another of the Smith’s had already, like his half brother, emigrated to Australia]. We know nothing of John or Anne.
The Post Office Directory of 1852 shows Eli as a farmer in the parish
Caroline Smith Gadd
Caroline married Richard Gadd, a farmer of Barlavington and son of Richard Gadd. Robert Blackburn, rector of Selham church officiated at the 25 January 1853 wedding. The witnesses were Emma Smith [sister] and Henry Tice [brother-in-law].
Kelly’s directory of 1855 shows Edward Gadd, miller and Eli Smith, 'Selham farm'.
According to the 1861 census, Eli was then 80. Living at the farm of 210 acres were his daughter Emma [33], his son Eli Junior [28], daughter Mary [33] and granddaughter Mary Jane aged 4. There were also a foreman and 5 servants.
The 1862 and 1866 Post Office Directories continue to show Eli Smith farming at Selham Farm.
Emma Smith Gadd
Apparently, Emma the third and youngest daughter married Edward Gadd about 1864. Emma and Edward had at least two children. Alfred Eli, born May 14, 1865 in Lodsworth, lived with his parents at their 30-acre farm in Heyshott. Elizabeth, [15] born March 31, 1867 also born in Lodsworth, Sussex, was living [or staying] with Uncle Eli, the youngest of the Smith children, at Manor Farm, Selham according to the 1881 census.
Alfred Eli Smith [1830-1880]
Eli Senior’s second youngest boy, Alfred married Fanny about 1870. They had three children
- Annie Jane Smith, baptised on January 21, 1872 at Selham
- Frank Alfred Eli Smith [5], baptised July 4, 1875
- Kathleen Harriet Smith about 1878
Mary Smith Ewens
Mary, the youngest of Eli’s daughters, married John Ewens, son of John Ewens on 24 May 1873. The rector of Selham church, Robert Blackburn officiated. The witnesses were Alfred Smith and Charles George Gadd. John and Mary had a son, John Smith Ewens, baptised on 29 June 1873.
The Post Office Directory of 1874 showed Alfred and Eli occupying "Selham Farm".
On 21 June 1880, Alfred [49] died and was buried at the Selham church. see photo below
Headstone of Alfred & his wife - St James, Selham
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John Trevenen contacted us in August 2011
"I have been reading your website with much pleasure. It is a glorious part of England and you are lucky to
live there.
As a resident of the relatively new British colony of South Australia, my great great grandfather visited Manor Farm,
Selham, West Sussex in 1847. It was the home of his father who had taken over the leasehold 10 years earlier. It remained in the family
until 1943. I have done considerable research on that part of my family and would be pleased to share it..... "
John Trevenen
John Trevenen
North Carolina, USA
St James, Selham - click to enlarge
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Eli Smith, Junior [1832-1909]
Eli [48] took over the farm when his brother died; he did not marry.
The 1881 census shows that Alfred’s widow Fanny [36] was living at Manor Farm with her brother-in-law Eli, Jr and her three children – Annie [9], Frank [5] and Kathleen [2].
The 1891 census shows that Eli Smith, Jr [58], his sister-in-law Fanny Smith [46], his niece Annie Jane Smith [19] and his nephew Frank Alfred Eli Smith [15] were at the farm.
The 1895 Post Office Directory showed that Mrs. Alfred [Fanny] Smith and Eli were farming at Manor farm.
The 1901 census shows that Eli Smith, Jr. [68] – farmer and employer, his sister-in-law Fanny [56], his niece Annie J [29], his nephew Frank A E [25] and niece Kathleen H [22] were living at 'Selham Manor Farm'. At this time there are two other households at the farm comprising two families – Horace [head cowman] and Annie Ayling and their five children and Charles [cowman] and Hephzibah Kench and their four daughters.
Eli, Junior died 20 December 1909, aged 77. He is buried at Selham.
Frank Alfred Eli Smith [1875-1943]
Frank A E Smith, son of Alfred and grandson of Eli, Senior then took over the farm.
The 1911 census shows Frank Alfred Eli Smith [35], his mother Fanny [66] and sister Kathleen [32] at the farm.
Fanny died on April 13 1922, aged 77. She is buried at Selham.
The farm stayed in the family until the death of Frank Alfred Eli Smith on 4 December 1943. He was the last male of this branch of the Smith family.
At some time after 1911, Frank Alfred Eli Smith married Hilda Mary. Hilda Mary Smith, born 1890, who died in 1987 aged 97, survived him. Both are buried at Selham.
The present occupants, [March 2000] took over the leasehold at that time.
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St James, Selham - click to enlarge
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Appendix
SUPPORTING INFORMATION
1. The following information was obtained from the Chichester Records office:
Kelly’s Directory 1845 [page 707]
Selham Gentry – Eli Smith, farmer
Post Office Directory 1852 [page 812]
Selham, Eastbourne Hundred
Midhurst Union, rape of Chichester
Population in 1831 – 89
Population in 1841 – 121
Reverend Henry Ewens
Mrs. Elizabeth Blackburn, Maltster
Edward Gadd, miller, Lodge Hill
Eli Smith, Farmer
Kelly’s Directory – 1855 [page 948]
Selham – population in 1851 – 120
Rev Henry Blackburn,
Edward Gadd, miller, Lodge Bridge Mill
Ewen, Mortimer, maltster and farmer, Malthouse farm
Eli Smith, farmer, Selham Farm
Post Office Directory – 1862 [Page 1839]
Selham – 1041 acres – population in 1861 – 123
Rev Henry Otway, Thomas Blackburn, master and farmer, Malt house farm
Eli Smith, farmer Selham Farm
Thomas Tipper, farmer
Post Office Directory – 1866 [page 2119]
Selham 1042 acres
Same inhabitants as 1862
Post Office Directory – 1884
Selham – population in 1871 – 87
Rev Henry Blackburn,
John Francisco, farmer
John Parker, maltster and farmer, Malthouse farm
Alfred and Eli Smith, farmers, Selham farm
Post Office Directory – 1895
Selham [Sulham] the “Saleham”of Domesday on the River Rother – area 413 acres, population – 48 [1891], parish clerk – William Hills
Rev Robert Blackburn, MA, rectory
Edward Barnes, Malthouse
Charles Carmichael Lacaita, Esq., JP Selham House
Alfred Smith, [Mrs.] and Eli, farmers, Manor Farm
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